Conveyer belt



July 11, 1939.

G. STANIUS 2,165,422

CONVEYER BELT iled Dec. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sweet 1 [HHI July 11, 1939. G STAMU'S 2,165,422

CONVEYER BELT File'd Dec. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 11, 1939 PAT EN T OFFICE CONVEYER BELT Godfrey Stanius, Cicero, .IlL, assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago. 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 24, 1937, Serial No. 181,530

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in conveyer belts and its purpose is to provide an improved endless belt formed bya plurality of metal plates which are pivotally connected together and adapted to form a substantially continuous surface on which loose materials may be" conveyed from one location to another. The present invention is an improvement upon that described and claimed in the copending application of Chester M. MacChesney, Serial No. 87,141, filed June 25, 1936. In that application, there is disclosed a form of conveyer belt comprising a plurality of flat sheet metalplates arranged in rows transversely of the belt and having parts intermeshing with each other, the intermeshing parts being engaged by pivot pins about which adjacent rows of plates are adapted-to pivot as the belt passes around the rolls on which it is supported. The principal object of the present invention is to provideimproved means by which thepivot pins are retained in. place after the parts of'the belt have been assembled and the present invention is a modification of that described and claimed in the copending application of Allen B. Wilson, Serial No. 181,477, filed December 24,

1937. Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyer belt made up of metal plates-connected by pivot pins, some of the plates and the pivot pins being provided with coacting parts which are adapted to wedge into interlocking en-' :gagement with each other when the pins are put in place. Other objects relate to various features of constructon and arrangement which will ap pear more-fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken withthe accompanying drawings in which one embodi ment is illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of a conveyer belt embodying the present invention with the rolls by which it is supported;

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged top plan view of a p'ortionof the conveyer belt illustrated in Fig. 1;

F'lg. 3shows a side elevation of the portion of thebelt illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig.- 4 shows a longitudinal section taken on the line 4 4 of'Fig. 2;

- Fig. 5 shows a transverse section taken on the line 5- -5 of Fig. 2; r

Fig. 6 shows apartial bottom'plan view or a portion of the belt illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig; 7 is a partial sideelevation of a portion of the belt shown in Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, with one of the pivot pins 'in the position it occupies preliminary to being interlocked with a part of one'of the plates which make up the suface of the belt; Fig. 8 showsa partial plan view'of two adjacent plates of the belt s'hown'in Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, with the pivot pin in the position shown in Fig. 7 and'illustratingby dotted lines the position of the pivot pin before it is moved into engagement Y with-two 'adjacentrows of plates;

Fig. '9 shows 'az'side elevation similar to that of Fig. 7 illustrating the manner of effecting relative the plate has been returned to 'a positiondn a plane with the plate to which it is pivotally con- Fig. 12 shows a bottom plan View of the struc ture illustrated in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 shows a perspective View of one of the plates which is provided with inclined Wedging surfaces causing a part of a pivot pin to'mov'e into interlocking engagement with a flange carried' by an adjacent plate.

As'shown'in Fig. 1, the invention is embodied in an endless conveyer belt l5 which is mounted upon supporting rolls l6 carried by shafts I! having bearings which are not illustrated. The upper stretch of the belt is supported by idler rolls |-8 carried by shafts H! which are mounted in suitable bearings and one of the shafts H is adapted to be driven from a'sour'ce of power to cause the upper stretch of the belt to move in the direction of the arrow 20, for example, for the purpose of conveying the loose materials which are discharged onto the belt by any suitable means. 1 The belt is made up primarily of a plura'lity of sheet metal plates 2| arranged in rows transversely of the belt andsuppl'emented at the ends of alternate rows by auxiliary plates 22 each of which is formed substantially like'one-half of one of the plates 2|. The rows of metal plates are connected together by pivot pins 23 each of which has a transversely extending arm 23 adapted to interlock with a flange carried by one of the plates at the end of a row so that the pivot pins are prevented from being accidentally withdrawnafter theparts of the belt have been as sembled. V

Each plate 2| comprises a body portion having opposite" rectangular notches 2| in its edges, f0'rmingtong'ues'2 i which have their ends curled to form cylindrical bearing portions'2l adapted to be engaged by the pins 23. The plates 2| are staggered with respect to each otherin adjacent rows and they intermesh with each other so that each notch 2| in a plate is occupied by two of th'e'be'aring portions 2|? carried by an adjacent plate. The ends 2| of the plates are adapted toabut against each other in the same row and each plate" 2| is provided at its middle point with a longitudinally extending groove 2| formed by a downwardly extending V-shaped rib 2 I These ribs are adapted to bear upon the rolls I6 and 18 so that the belt is prevented from assuming an undulating motion as it passes over the rolls, the lower edges of the rib 2i being in substantial alignment with the lower edges of the bearing portions M The plates 2i, at the ends of the rows which are made up entirely of such plates. are provided with downwardly turned curved flanges 21 in the form shown particularly in Fig. 13 and the bearing portions 21 adjacent these flanges are provided with inclined wedging surfaces 21 at their outer ends for coaction with the arms 23 of the pivot pins, in the manner hereinafter described.

Due to the staggered relationship of the plates 2| in adjacent rows, the alternate rows of plates 2| are shorter than the intermediate rows and these shorter rows are filled out at their ends by the plates 22, each of which comprises a flat body portion having angular notches 22 at the outer corners thereof and having opposite longitudinally extending flanges or projections 22 at the inner corners thereof, these projections 22 being curled downwardly to form cylindrical bearing portions 22 which are similar in size and arrangement to the bearing portions 2| and which are adapted to be engaged by the pivot pins 23. The plates 22 are provided at their outer ends with downwardly extending curved flanges 22 which are similar in form to and aligned with the flanges Zl on those plates 2i which are located at the ends of the adjacent rows. The aligning flanges 2l and 22 thus provide a substantially smooth outer edge surface for the belt so that the belt may contact with side guides, for example, without damage to any of the parts. In the assembly of the belt, adjacent rows of plates 21 and 22 are arranged with their bearing portions intermeshing with each other and one of the pivot pins 23 is then inserted through the aligning bearing portions for thepurpose of pivotally connecting the adjacent rows of plates. When the pin 23 is first inserted from the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8 to the position shown by full lines in Figs. '7 and 8, the plates of the two adjacent rows connected by the pin are extended in the same plane and the arm or handle 23 of the pin is directed at right angles to that plane and is in contact with the flat end face of one of the bearing portions 2l on which one of the inclined wedging surfaces 20 is formed. One row of plates, which do not have the cam surfaces ZI is then turned through ninety degrees to the position shown in Figs. 9 and 10 which brings the arm 23' into position against the face of one of the plates 22 and in line with the curved flange 22 thereon. If the arm 23 is then held against the face of this plate 22, and the two rows of plates are moved relatively to occupy the same plane again, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the inclined wedging surface 2| will coact with the arm 23 to force it into a posi tion beneath and interlocking with the somewhat resilient flange 22 thus holding the pin segitudinally of the belt so that two adjacent pins interlock with the flanges 22 on plates 22 at opposite ends of the same row, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Although one form of the improved conveyer belt, made up of sheet metal plates and connecting pivot pins, has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other embodiments coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of metal plates arranged in parallel transverse rows, and pivot pins each connecting the plates of two adjacent rows, said plates having parts adapted to interlock with portions of said pins and having other parts adapted to wedge said portions oi said pins into interlocking engagement with said first named parts.

2. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of metal plates arranged in parallel transverse rows, and pivot pins each connecting the plates of two adjacent rows, certain of said plates having parts adapted to interlock with portions of said pins, a

other plates having parts to coact with said pins to force said pins into interlocking engagement with said first named parts upon relative motion of said plates and said pins. i

3. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of metal plates arranged in parallel transverse rows, and pivot pins each connecting the plates of two adjacent rows, said plates having parts adapted to interlock with portions of said pins and having inclined wedging surfaces adapted to coact 1 with said portions of said pins to force said pins into interlocking engagement with said parts upon relative angular motion of the plates in adjacent rows. 1

'4. A conveyer belt comprising a. plurality of metal plates arranged in parallel transverse rows, and pivot pins each connecting the plates of two adjacent rows, certain of said plates having grooved flanges formed thereon, said pins having transverse arms, some of said plates having surfaces adapted to coact with said arms upon relative rotation of those plates and said pins to cause said arms to'engage said grooves.

5. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of metal plates arranged in parallel transverse rows said plates in adjacent rows having parts intermeshing with each other, and pivot pins en: gaging said intermeshing parts for pivotally con: necting adjacent rows, said pins having angularly disposed arms, some of said plates having parts 5'."

adapted to interlock with said arms to prevent the removal of said pins, some of said intermeshing parts having inclined surfaces adapted to engage said arms to force them into interlocking engagement with said parts upon relative rotation of those plates and said pins.

6. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality ofmetal plates arranged in parallel transverse rows, said plates in adjacent rows having intermeshing cylindrical bearing portions, and pivot pins each engaging the intermeshing bearing portions of two adjacent rows; said pins having angularly disposed arms, some of said plates having flanges adapted to interlock with said arms, some of said bearing portions being provided at their endswith cam surfaces adapted to be engaged by said arms for forcing said arms into interlocking engagement with said surfaces on relative rotationof said arms.

I GODFR T N 

